The Chairman, National Seafarers Welfare Board, Chief Kunle Folarin, has said that Nigeria needs about 6,000 seafarers to work in the Cabotage area of the nation’s shipping sector
Folarin said this last week in Lagos, even as he lamented that the number of seafarers presently working under the Cabotage shipping regime was far less than what the nation needed.
He said that the total demand for all categories of seafarers was actually over 12,000 seafarers, but the supply was 3,000.
The Chairman, National Seafarers Welfare Board, Chief Kunle Folarin, has said that Nigeria needs about 6,000 seafarers to work in the Cabotage area of the nation’s shipping sector
Folarin said this last week in Lagos, even as he lamented that the number of seafarers presently working under the Cabotage shipping regime was far less than what the nation needed.
He said that the total demand for all categories of seafarers was actually over 12,000 seafarers, but the supply was 3,000.
Folarin, who is also the Chairman, Port Consultative Council (PCC), said that the maritime industry should be given the same attention like the oil and gas sector in terms of training.
“Indeed, Nigeria has a potential to become a world power, a maritime nation, if we harness all the opportunities in the sector.’’
He suggested that the Federal Government must project on the number of people that could be trained overtime.
“we can project that in the next two years, we shall have this number of seafarers along the projected demand for seafarers.
“As at today, Nigerians who have gone to college to read nautical science and all that have not been able to do sea-time exposure because sea time is a challenge.‘’
Folarin said that cadets should be attached to work on ships for at least 18 months.
The PCC Chairman also suggested that government should empower Nigerians to own ships, to create wealth, to do hydrographic survey; nautical sciences, marine engineering survey, and so many other mandatory issues.
According to Folarin, Nigeria has the potential to become a service provider in other areas of the maritime sector like ship building, ship repair, hydrographic survey and many other areas.
The PCC chairman said that seafarers needed to have enhanced basic salaries, adding that they must also have access to good medicare and shore leave.
Folarin urged the government to empower Nigerians to own ships so that people would be able to study hydrographic survey, nautical science, marine engineering and so many other mandatory issues.
He said that the issue of training and welfare were key to the development of seafaring, adding that Nigeria had the potential to be a service provider in ship building, ship repair and hydrographic survey.
The PCC chairman said that efforts were being made by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in training seafarers.
“Government should have a training ship. Hopefully, they should use some regulations to compel those trading within the nation’s territorial waters to allow indigenous seafarers to be given opportunity of sea-time experience.
“That will go a long way to reduce the issue and the problems we have in that sector.
“Today the Nigerian seafarers may not be earning like their counterparts outside. What we are doing in the last three or four years is reviving the interest of Nigerians in seafaring.
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